It’s been 10 years since Ron and Nan Deal unexpectedly said goodbye to their middle son, Connor.
“You never expect to outlive your children,” says Ron Deal. “We actually joked about the fact that Connor, who was 12 at the time, was the healthiest of our three boys. The other two could come down with the flu, and Connor kept on trucking. One day, he got a headache. We gave him ibuprofen and sent him to bed early. Ten days later he was gone.”
The Deals have no idea how Connor contracted MRSA, an infection that is very difficult to treat.
“I love talking about Connor and, at the same time, I hate talking about him because it is so incredibly painful,” Deal says. “I now talk about life before Connor died and life after Connor left us, and I long for the innocence of before. I am keenly aware now that life can turn on a dime and you will never be the same.”
When talking about the grieving process, Deal shares that early on, it felt as if they were buried up to their necks in mud.